Book Review: Ember and the Island of the Lost Creatures by Jason Pamment

                                Ember and the Island of the Lost Creatures by Jason Pamment

3.5 Stars Really cute graphic novel!

This has some really cute illustrations and facts about different creatures! Fitting in can be hard for a tiny boy like Ember, living along in the city of giants. One day, he meets a kindly sea turtle, Lua, who escorts him across the ocean to a school for little creatures on this fun, adventurous island.

Ember starts to make friends, even though at first they really aren't interested in being friends. He struggles to adapt but as things would have it, the island may have an otherworldly mystery itself that Ember starts to uncover....

Overall, I enjoyed this and the themes of friendship and starting anew in a fresh place and just being who you are!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/43MJvwL

Book Review: Book 2 Sailor Moon

 

Book Review - Sailor Moon Book 2 - 2.5 to 3 Stars

So, as I have said before, Sailor Moon is such a nostalgic anime/manga series for me. It was a favorite of mine when I was young. I initially thought this would be a 4 star, but really sitting with it, it's really 3.

As an adult re-reading the series, there are things that make me giggle and smile - such as Usagi with her friends saving earth, Luna and Artemis together and the Serenity/Moon back story. The artwork is also amazing. It's probably my favorite artwork from any manga series.

However, there are things that make me cringe. Specifically, the ending of this makes me cringe with the whole Chibi-Usa thing coming down from the sky and her lips end up on Tuxedo Mask's - issa no for me. Especially since technically he is her father in the future, sooo yeah. 

I also still have an issue with the age difference of Usagi and Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask....I think she's 14 and he's 16 or 17. It looks like the anime portrays him as a college student and 18 but the manga is more like 16/17-ish. I know this was back in the 90s when this was created but yeah I wish they were closer in age. Many of the scenes of them together are fairly intimately shown and she just obsesses with him and throws all the responsibilities to the wayside sometimes. It also bothers me there is suicide displayed in this book in relation to their relationship. 

I will also mention the general themes in this book are Sailor Scouts who are basically like warriors based on the planets and a lot of astrology plays into this series. Generally, it hasn't bothered me so far but some of what Rei does in her psychic abilities/seeing into the future have a little bit. There is also re-incarnation in this series and that is shown a lot in this book because we see the Sailor Scouts previous lives on the moon and their back stories where their memories were erased.

Overall, I still enjoyed this but not as much as I probably did as a young teen. 

Book Review: It Is Finished by Charles Martin

 

It Is Finished - Charles Martin - 5 Stars 

I have to say, this is the best Easter Devotional I have done leading up to Easter thus far. Such a beautiful storytelling experience to the cross. I loved the walking back to the cross parts in each day and the prayers. I think this one is so well needed because the way Charles Martin explains what Jesus went through - TRULY went through - will touch you in such a way that it's almost like being told for the first time about his death. It's so well needed because many times I think we forget what He truly went through on the cross for our sins in our place. We deserve death. But He stood in our place. Because He loves us that much.

This is not your average devotional. It will truly minister to you. Highly recommend.

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4av4w14

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Book Review: Double Take by Lynette Eason

 

Double Take by Lynette Eason - 5 Stars - Book 1 in the Lake City Heroes Series

I loved this story! A great start to a new Christian Romantic Suspense series! 

- Fast paced suspense story

- The best friend's brother trope

- Nice faith thread

- Crazy storyline of being stalked by your ex-fiancé that you thought was dead 

In this story, we have detective James Cross who works with the Lake City Police Department. He has a lot of crazy family dynamics going on so he's rooming with his friend and partner Cole. Cut to Physician Assistant Lanie Jackson who is 18 months post her attempted murder by her ex, which ended when she managed to grab the gun and shoot him. He's been dead this whole time....or so she thought......is he back to finish the job? Crazy things start to happen where they are questioning if he is alive or dead and James steps in to help solve the case and protect Lanie. 

I loved this because James knew Lanie for most of his life as her best friends brother and the connection they had was great. I loved seeing them reconnect and the romance threads grow throughout the suspense. I definitely want to read the next book in the series! Bonus for a great narrator via audiobook.

Trigger warnings: Domestic violence, stalking, PTSD, panic attacks. 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6084380973
Amazon: https://amzn.to/43DTW5V
Baker Books: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/542754

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Book Review: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

  

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown - 4 Stars 

When Roz the robot is in a shipment and a hurricane sinks her cargo ship - she is the only robot to wash up on shore. The wildlife on the island are not too thrilled to see a robot show up but once she adopts a goose after its parents die, she becomes a mother and learns to speak to and interact with the animals, building a relationship with them along the way. 

This book was such a delight to listen to. It really teaches us about nature, technology, family, friendship, and love. At first, you don't really connect to the robot Roz but by the end, she is somewhat personable after all she goes through while trying to raise her "son" the goose.

It's a bit like a story of survival too, reminiscent of a story like Hatchet. What I love most about this story is the theme that family doesn't have to be blood. A mother doesn't have to be blood related to be a mother. 

The ending was emotional! I definitely want to read the next one.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6329490792
Amazon: https://amzn.to/43xuz5s

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Book Review: Star Knights by Kay Davault

 

Star Knights - Kay Davault - 5 Stars 

First of all, let me start by saying how much I love the colors and illustration art in this graphic novel - absolutely beautiful. I am so glad I read this as I don't read a ton of graphic novels right now but want to try and dip my toes into reading some this year and this one was a HIT! 

This is about a simple frog who wants to become a legendary knight and he finds himself on this unexpected magical journey. The characters in this are so much fun and the sweet themes of being true to yourself and the importance of friendship - so great. 

Highly recommend. 

Content for parents since this is technically a middle grade story: There are mentions of spirits, some mild fights/magic, and one character who is a witch but it wasn't anything I was uncomfortable with personally. It was just part of the fantasy world/story to me. Just want to mention for parents who may want a content note if needed.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6310196424
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3x1xNC4

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Book Review: A Whale of the Wild by Rosanne Parry

 

A Whale of the Wild - Rosanne Parry - 4 Stars

This was a really great middle grade story told from the POV of a young orca whale that leads her brother on a tumultuous journey to be reunited with their pod. It was very interesting to read a book from an animals POV and I really enjoyed the descriptions under the sea and what it could have been like from the whale POVs. The themes of adventure, family bonds, survival and an ever changing seascape were great.

Vega and her family eat salmon so she is trying to learn how to be a salmon finder. Her and her brother get separated though from the pod when an earthquake and tsunami leave their area under the sea in shambles. As they face hunger and the unknown, will they make it back? Will she be the leader she needs to be? 

Overall, I really enjoyed this with the family bonds especially and learning about orca whales as I didn't really have much knowledge about them previously. The only thing I didn't love was how it ended but still recommend!

Goodreads Review:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6364887761
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xfOpGe

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Book Review: Lost in the Caverns by Kathryn Butler

 

Lost in the Caverns by Kathryn Butler - Book 3 in The Dreamkeeper Saga - 4 Stars

In this book we continue our adventure with 12 year old dream keeper Lily McKinley as she embarks on a dangerous journey through the Desert of the Forgotten to regain her ability to dream and spread Pax's message. This book continues the themes of fantasy, Christian themes and allegory with mystery throughout the series. The allegory shown relate to the Gospel of Jesus and other theological conversations surrounding sacrifice, salvation and evangelism. This was quite the adventure once again! I had so much fun being back in this world with our characters, as I have had quite the break since book 2. 

I love the allegory message of the Gospel of Jesus in this story. We see characters who represent satan as well and the message of what the Lord has done for us is beautifully depicted in this series. If you like stories like Narnia, good versus evil and great Christian allegorical themes - pick this series up. So many great biblical messages where our characters learn from their mistakes, display courage and find the truth.

I will link the series down below! Excited to get into the next book sometime.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6294768744
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4a4tTHf

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Book Review: Uncovering the Love of Jesus by Asheritah Ciuciu

 

Uncovering the Love of Jesus by Asheritah Ciuciu
3.5 Stars 

I enjoyed this devotional during the season of lent leading up to Easter. I think this is great for families as it has some good family activities, scripture readings and daily devotions. I picked this up because it was a kindle buy last year and I have a goal to read several of my kindle only books this year. This book follows the story of Jesus leading up to his death on the cross and resurrection. This has some good basic discussions surrounding the Gospel of Jesus and practical daily devotions and prayers. While there wasn't anything groundbreaking for me personally and I would have liked a bit more "meat and potatoes" to the book we'll say, it had some really nice faith reminders I needed personally and is a good devotional to prepare your heart for Easter. I also would recommend this for someone who is new to their faith or those would like a good family lent devotional. 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6262945562
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IPhSt7

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Book Review: Recorder by Cathy McCrumb

 

Recorder by Cathy McCrumb - Book 1 in the Children of the Consortium Series 

5 Stars 

Wow, what an ending! I must read book 2 immediately! This is book 1 in a Christian Sci-Fi series that really is #SciFiWithHeart as many have said. I am not usually someone who reads the Sci-Fi genre because I have a fear of not understanding what's going on - but this was SUPER easy to understand and you are immediately connected to our characters, their relationships and the friendships made. Cathy truly tugs at your heart strings in this one as our main character, who is a Recorder, starts to realize she has value for who she is.  

I can't say too much for this as I really think you should go in this book knowing as little as possible, but to quote the synopsis, "Recorder has no family, friends and no name. Donated to the Consortium before birth, her sole purpose is to maintain and verify records. A neural implant and drone ensure compliance, punishing for displays of bias. Suddenly cut off from controlling technology, she tastes what it means to be human. But if the Consortium discovers her feelings, everyone she knows will be in danger." The story goes on from here as time starts to run out for Recorder in all the events that take place.

From the very first chapter, you are immersed in the story and I am so glad this was a book club read with my friends because it really made me step outside of my comfort zone and find something I really enjoyed. If you are someone who is interested even in the least to try Sci-Fi, highly recommend checking this one out because it was not confusing. The audio was great but I think it's best to read in physical format or at least have an ebook or physical copy on hand to read in tandem with the audio because we do have some flashbacks that I missed were flashbacks sometimes for not paying enough attention and would start back over on that audio chapter.

There are some faith elements in this - light but it's there and I appreciated that. This book ends where you really need book 2 on DECK by the way, so make sure you are prepared before you dive in!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6282152714
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PrKJYd

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Book Review: If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer

 

If The Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer - 4.5 Stars 

*Updating review to include some thoughts on the ending*

What a great second book in the Texas Ever After series! A western spin on the classic Cinderella tale! This book can be read as a standalone but I recommend starting with book 1, Fairest of Heart.

In this story, Samantha Dearing is going to the ball that her father is hosting to find her a match! She isn't excited about this so she takes a break from the ball and finds a thief fleeing her home. The stranger, Asher Ellis, was looking for in Samantha's father's room for documentation regarding the rent payments since her father was evicting his mother and family from their property. While Asher is running away, he sees Samantha's brother Clint in distress in the water drowning and he saves his life. While no one saw him in this, he left his boot behind and Samantha decides to find the man that "the boot fits". Samantha and Asher cross paths later as she is tutoring his brother and as someone is after Samantha, Asher is devoted to protecting her at all costs and feelings emerge and the story goes on from here.......

Karen does it again with a great Christian Western Historical Romance with a fairy tale spin and I loved it! The romance in this was so sweet and I loved the faith elements throughout the story. The twist in this was not one I saw coming! The fairytale elements were very light but fun enough added in! Definitely its own unique story.

Editing my review to include thoughts about the twist in this story. I know things that get revealed toward the end in some letters/entries is considered a controversial thing here among reviewers but the more I think about it, the more I want to make sure I am clear on how I feel about it.

Every single one of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Neither of us is better than the other. What is depicted in this is an example of someone who made mistakes and repented. Grace and forgiveness were shown. This sin mention in this book is honestly no different than any other sin we have committed ourselves. We are no better than what this person has done in her story. I commend Karen for tackling this topic and showing us what true forgiveness and grace looks like. The character recognized it was wrong and asked for forgiveness. It's so important to show grace, compassion and forgiveness to others and this could have truly happened. I myself have made many mistakes that I am forgiven for in Jesus' name so I found this somewhat relatable for me as well. I just wanted to update this review because I strongly feel this book handled the content in a well manor and Karen was not trying to justify any actions in this.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5808710945
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vmmN1B

Baker Books:

Book 1 and 2 Bundle: 
https://bakerbookhouse.com/bundles/23

Just Book 2: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/542730

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Book Review: Once Upon A Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

 

Once Upon A Wardrobe by Patti Callahan 5 Stars 

What a beautiful story filled with the essence of Narnia and so much more. The storytelling was perfect, I need to read everything Patti writes now. This was filled with love and family. The ties to Narnia and CS Lewis are truly immersive. This story is all about college student Meg and her younger brother George. His last wish as terminally ill young boy with a weak heart is to uncover the truth of Narnia, as its his favorite story. What happens next is a beautiful story of love, sibling bonds and the life-changing magic of stories like Narnia. Set in 1950, we see Meg as a student at Oxford University. When George asks her to find out about Narnia, she tells him its just a children's book....but soon realizes it's so much more herself. She goes on a hunt to find the answers to George's questions and the rest is history as she meets CS Lewis himself (since he is a teacher at her university) and she asks him the questions. But what CS Lewis responds are stories of his own life for Meg to form her own conclusion that led to his inspiration. She takes these stories home to George and the adventure goes on from here....

The writing is magical. The story is magical. EVERYTHING WAS JUST MAGICAL AND BEAUTIFUL AND I CRIEDDDDD. The ending - those last few pages - everything - so many tears. 

You really fall right in with this family and connect with Meg and George and you feel the beauty of Narnia in the pages of this book. I can't really express how this story will sit in my heart forever. Highly recommend. 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5900341999

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cgn330

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Book Review: It's Boba Time for Pearl Li! by Nicole Chen

 

It's Boba Time for Pearl Li! - Nicole Chen 4.5 Stars

We follow a big hearted Taiwanese American girl - Pearl Li - who has a heart for crafting amigurumi dolls, her favorite boba tea shop - Boba Time, her friends, family and Boba Time's owner - Auntie Cha.

Pearl learns that Boba Time has financial troubles and decides to sell her amigurumi dolls to raise money to help the shop. She starts to navigate the ups and downs of running a business and Pearl realizes that its a bit more complicated than she originally thought....

What a cute middle grade book! I loved learning about Pearl's crafts, the Boba Tea shop, seeing her relationships with her friends and family! It also made me SO hungry for good food and a tasty boba drink!

I loved seeing Pearl realize her mistakes, come into her own as a young girl and see why its important to talk to your parents about what you truly love in life. For a while, I kept saying girl, just talk to them LOL - and loved how it all turned out. I think seeing her stubbornness can be an eye opening lesson for kids reading this book.

Auntie Cha was also super sweet. I love how close she was with her and involved in the It's Boba Time shop. 

Her sister Jade was also a great character and I loved seeing her sister relationship and how supportive she was to Pearl. 

Overall a solid middle grade story with an uplifting ending! Bonus points for BOBA!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5393313471
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TwH11W

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: A Lady's Guide to Marvel's and Misadventure by Angela Bell

 

A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure - Angela Bell 🦉🌍 ✨

"Just as Grand would never expect a clock to mend its own windings, God would never expect us to mend our own hearts." 

🦉🌍 ✨What a fun, whimsical story with great quirky characters that go on an adventure together! This is a Christian Historical Romance that has some steampunk-ish vibes and is a great read for lovers of The Nutcracker or Around the World in 80 Days! 4 stars!

This book starts off with our main character of Clara Stanton trying to protect her family from her ex-fiancé's schemes and society's prejudice about them because they are very different! Her Grandfather brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg and boy do things get wild from here! 

We see Theodore Kingsley, the apprentice who repairs clocks, desperate for a fresh start from his disappointed father who wants nothing to do with him and declared him dead. When Clara's Grandfather disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves a note behind and she goes on an quite the adventure/scavenger hunt with Theodore...

I had a fun time reading this one! It made me laugh several times throughout the story and the premise is such a unique one that I haven't seen before in the Christian Fiction market! While the first 40% took me a little bit to warm up to Clara as she was very hesitant to trust anyone, including Theodore and had quite a bit of sass with him, once she started opening up and realizing she misjudged him, I really liked her character arc and where things went, especially in the faith developments. While I am not the biggest enemies to lovers person, the ending of this was very well done and I really appreciate the romance and faith elements in the end. 

Grand was also absolutely precious and chapter 27 was probably my favorite. I think anyone who loves a fun, whimsical story with unique characters, great historical background and beautiful faith content will enjoy this one! Excited to see what Angela comes up with next!

Thank you to the publisher for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5689798445
Amazon: https://amzn.to/48PELaD
Baker Books: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/542740

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Book Review: Fish in a Tree by Lynda Hunt

 

Fish in a Tree - Lynda Hunt - 5 Stars 

"Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Hunt is a heartfelt and inspiring middle-grade story that celebrates the power of resilience, empathy, and the importance of embracing differences. Our main character, a 6th grader named Ally, navigates the challenges of dyslexia, showing us her every day struggles in her learning differences. We see her being bullied by others, along with being frustrated and embarrassed by her inability to read. Yet, amidst these challenges, Ally's resilience shines through. She is determined to success, despite her challenges. Things really change when we see Ally start to accept her differences through the interactions with her friends Albert and Keisha, and her teacher Mr. Daniels. One of the greatest strengths in this book is through the portrayal of the teacher-student relationship between Ally and Mr. Daniels. He is truly patient with Ally and approaches her to help her overcome her academic struggles and instills a newfound belief in herself. Loved seeing this shine through because it really made the story!

Albert was also an AMAZING friend in this book and I loved seeing him stand up for his friends and himself. He was also hilarious and didn't let the bully's get him down. 

Overall, this story really brought me back to my childhood through some of the struggles and bullying situations I had in my own elementary/middle school days because of my learning differences and extra help I received with my ADHD diagnosis. Ally's journey will resonate with readers of all ages. This is a must read for anyone seeking an uplifting middle grade story that celebrates learning differences and the power of perseverance and friendship.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5398447589
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3v1KfRP

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Book Review: A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen

 

A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen - 3.5 Stars (Book 2 in Her Royal Spyness Series)

This series is always a fun time. While some of the sexual innuendos can be a bit much for me at times from her friend Belinda, I still recommend this as a fun British mystery series! Honestly, what Belinda is saying does usually make me laugh but I would just rather not have those bits at times. 

In this one, Lady Georgiana, 34th in line to the throne, has nothing to serve her Bavarian princess houseguest....even though the Queen of England has requested for her to entertain her for a week. Someone ends up murdered in a bookshop, among other murder mysteries taking place in this story, and all eyes point to Georgiana and her new houseguest. 

This one was so much fun and I look forward to the next one. The pacing can be a bit slow sometimes, but it's always fun to sit with our characters throughout the story and see what they get up to and what commentary they provide.

Content: There is a scene involving attempted sexual assault in this but it was brief toward the end. Again, like I said there is some sexual innuendos sometimes but it overall doesn't kill the story when they are mentioned. Just like to mention this so others are aware and can make their own decision to read these or not. I don't think it's over the top honestly, just sometimes annoying and would rather it not be there.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6324777046
Amazon Series Link: https://amzn.to/3Pc0UZE

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Book Review: Masked Ball at Broxley Manor by Rhys Bowen

                                         

                                    Masked Ball at Broxley Manor by Rhys Bowen - 3 Stars

This is a prequel to Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen - I have read book 1 and didn't realize there was a prequel novella so I decided to check this out as a quick read.

This is a quick audiobook listen featuring Lady Georgina, our main character in the Her Royal Spyness series. Great narrator and gives a lot of background to Lady Georgina's family. She is 34th in line to the throne and we see her high society lifestyle in this one. Everyone wants her to get married already and she ends up going to a masked ball at Broxly Manor. Her family doesn't understand why she was invited but she ends up going anyway.

At the masked ball, she dances with a prince and finds herself attracted to him. But when it's time to unmask, he is gone. She is curious about who this man is....and what is really going on at Broxley Manor.

Overall, a good prequel to get started with the series and introduce you to the main characters.

Book Review: The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold - 3.5 Stars

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara was one of my favorite books of 2022 so I was SO excited to dive into Sara's next book! While it's hard to live up to my love for Mrs. Kip's story, this one was a solid contemporary Christian story with beautiful faith content throughout the story that I thoroughly enjoyed. In this story, we follow Nikki who is devastated from her parent's divorce. She doesn't know what to do with her life, relationship with Isaac or how to approach her father after his betrayal to her and her family.

Nikki ends up going to stay with her Uncle Wes in the town her father grew up in. She ends up finding old recipes of her grandmother and learns so much of her German history within her family that she never knew about before.

I really enjoyed this one overall - while some parts were slow for me, I loved the faith elements, proverbs scriptures, recipes, characters and the forgiveness thread.

"It is not what I forgive, it's why I choose to do it that matters most. The why is Jesus." Amen.

This story has some tough topics discussed in depth for the divorce of parents but Sara handled it so well.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly read and review.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5923542074
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TphhES
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/542760

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Book Review: My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh

My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh - 5 Stars

Ya'll, I just absolutely loved this book. Book 1 was amazing. Book 2 is amazing. Courtney's Rom-Coms are the BEST! I love these feel good stories that have beautiful happy endings - exactly what I need in life right now. 

I LOVE a good Grumpy/Sunshine trope and this DID NOT DISAPPOINT ya'll! I love Eloise and how she sees the good in everyone and has the most heartwarming personality. She truly exudes everything SUNSHINE and I absolutely love that! Meanwhile, Gray's grumpiness and the reasons behind it are sad and understandable, but loved seeing him open up along the way. Eloise really brought out the best in him and I loved that! I also LOVED the reveal / twist in this book. My favorite part that really made the story for me. 

The story: Eloise sees her ex boyfriend/boss on New Year's Eve and doesn't want him to think she is all alone. With the encouragement of others, she kisses a stranger for the first time ever in an effort to make her ex jealous. Fast forward to this man being Grayson Hawke - the newest star of the Chicago Comets Hockey Team, recently traded and not happy to be there. The kicker? Eloise is hired to be Gray's assistant and help him warm up to Chicago and his new team. Can she change how he feels? The story kicks off here.

Overall, a great second book in the series. Loved seeing Poppy and Dallas too. You can technically read this as a standalone, but I recommend reading My Phony Valentine by Courtney first, as you get the best reading experience that way!

5/5 Stars

Amazon: https://amzn.to/49EShz9

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

 

Book Review: Refugee - Alan Gratz

 

Refugee - Alan Gratz - 5 Stars 

Wow, this was such a powerful and important story of 3 families in search of refuge. We follow 3 perspectives.

Josef - a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany and his family trying to escape to be free from the Nazis.

Isabel - a Cuban girl in 1994 and her family trying to find refuge away from riots and unrest in Cuba.

Mahmoud - a Syrian boy in 2015 and his family trying to escape their homeland torn apart by violence and destruction.

All 3 journeys are incredibly impactful and unimaginable what they went through. There was hope. Sadness. Death. Betrayals. But each day they were just trying to survive for their own safety for the love of their families.

The way the author tied in each family together in the end of this story made me cry. This is a heartbreaking but important historical read with glimmers of hope in each timeline. Highly recommend.

*Content: This book has descriptions of PTSD from concentration camps, attempted suicide, loss of a child, abuse, death. Not in full detail but it is explained some so want to mention so parents are aware since this is a middle grade story.

📚Amazon Link: Refugee - Alan Gratz: https://amzn.to/4bQTogw

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: Alaskan Rescue by Terri Reed

 

Alaskan Rescue by Terri Reed - Book 1 in the Alaska K-9 Unit Series - 3 Stars 

This is a Christian Romantic Suspense story about a bridesmaid, Ariel Potter, who is found hanging down off from a cliff by Alaskan State Trooper, Hunter McCord and his K-9 partner, Juneau. The story starts with someone pushing her over the cliff and gunshots ringing out. With Ariel's hiking companions missing, Hunter and Juneau have to find them, all while protecting Ariel throughout the process.

Deciding where I land on this was a bit tough, on one hand, I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this one. It had a great narrator, characters were easy to connect to, the plot was interesting to me etc. The romance was a bit "block of cheese" for me, but I think that's how these type of books go sometimes so I was just enjoying the ride. Also, I honestly don't know how well Ariel and Hunter go together because they are both pretty controlling and quick to assumptions in the short time they knew each other.

The ending leaves you with more questions than answers and from what it looks like, the answers may come in book 7 of the series. Personally, I wish we had more answers but I guess we have to read the other books in the series by other authors to really follow what's going on throughout to figure it all out. 

Overall, not a bad book by any means, I may continue on in the series sometime if I feel like picking up a love inspired book in the future. :) 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/49RZLhQ

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